On the Edge

Andy Parker's husband Stefan died six years ago, leaving her and daughter Hayden Grace all alone. Daily life still revolves around rather strict rules Stefan wrote before his first deployment. Like her father, fifteen-year old Hayden Grace loves snowboarding and competes, but recently she is just going through the motions. Andy manages to fit her work as a Senior Marketing Associate around her daughter’s hectic competition schedule; she also works on the weekends at Mount Sunapee, where her daughter trains. When her boss asks her to a backcountry tour to a group of 4 VIPs, the unusual request will change the trajectory of both of their lives. 

T.S. Krupa has a wonderful grasp on both the personalities of the characters, and the winter sporting culture with which they are surrounded. The explanatory writing style highlights the care with which this book is researched, but also hinders the pace slightly. The author does have “go to” phrases and the cumulative nature of otherwise small editing issues can’t help but be noticed. There is a strong narrative arc that encompasses a realistic timeline. The characters are definitely not enclosed in their own little world, they possess both positive and negative aspects to their personalities. These personality traits reveal themselves naturally as the story progresses and are not necessarily anticipated. Andy finds that balancing work, family life and a renewed quest for love is difficult, but not impossible - and readers will happily tag along for the ride!

Heather R. Nielsen